CVE-2024-47533CWE-287

Cobbler allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC server with a known password and make changes

Critical · published November 18, 2024

CVSS v3.1
9.8
EPSS
4%
Percentile
90.5
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

🔥 An attacker can gain full control over your Cobbler server just by connecting with a simple user and password combo. This critical flaw makes it astonishingly easy to waltz right in! Think of Cobbler as a hotel with an open door policy — anyone walking by can just stroll in and change the room assignments without any checks at the front desk. That's what's happening here: a user can log in without proper authentication and modify settings freely! This vulnerability is absolutely devastating! An attacker with network access could change critical configurations, manipulate installation images, or even compromise the entire system. The potential for chaos is immense, as they could disrupt services or even deploy malicious installations across the network.

Put simply

Think of Cobbler as a hotel with an open door policy — anyone walking by can just stroll in and change the room assignments without any checks at the front desk. That's what's happening here: a user can log in without proper authentication and modify settings freely! The flaw arises from the `utils.get_shared_secret()` function always returning `-1`, allowing unauthorized users to log into the Cobbler XML-RPC interface using the username `''` and password `-1`. This means anyone can bypass authentication and execute any actions on the server.

What to do

This vulnerability is absolutely devastating! An attacker with network access could change critical configurations, manipulate installation images, or even compromise the entire system. The potential for chaos is immense, as they could disrupt services or even deploy malicious installations across the network. To mitigate this risk, upgrade Cobbler to version 3.2.3 or 3.3.7 immediately. Ensure proper authentication checks are in place to prevent unauthorized access, and review your network access controls to limit who can connect to your Cobbler server. You've got this! Take these steps to secure your Cobbler installation and keep your network safe! 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
9.8 · CRITICAL
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.04003 · 90.5th percentile
Weakness
CWE-287 · Improper Authentication
Published
2024-11-18T16:33Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 18 NOV 16:33Z
    Cobbler allows anyone to connect to cobbler XML-RPC server with a known password and make changes
    cvelistv5